A collection of the works of that holy man and profound divine, Thomas Iackson ... containing his comments upon the Apostles Creed, &c. : with the life of the author and an index annexed.

CAP. VI.

That sincere Obedience unto lawful Authority makes sundry Actions Lawful and Good, which, without it, would be altogether Unlawful and Evil.

1 MAny in our dayes are perswaded, that no Injunction of Authoritie ought to move us to any thing, which privately we deem Evil, either Absolutely, or Unto us. Obedience, in matters Lawful, they acknowledg to be good, and acceptable in the sight of God: but the goodnesse of it not so great as may warrant our undertaking Actions, either suspected for unlawful, or already condemned for such, in the Consistorie of our private Conscience: for this, in their opinion, were to do Evil that Good might ensue.

2 But here men should consider, that many Actions may be Evil, whilest undertaken by private Men, upon private Motions, which are not Evil, once allow∣ed or enjoyned by Authority; not that any Authoritie can make that which is Evil, Good: but that it may adde some Circumstance or Motive, whereby the same Action, which barely considered, was Evil before, may now by this Ad∣dition or Alteration, become not Evil, because not altogether the same. For Abraham, upon private Instigation or secular Motives, to have killed his Son, had been hideous and monstrous Cruelty, one of the greatest Breaches imagina∣ble of the Law of Nature: but being appointed by God so to do, to have killed his Son had been no Man-slaughter. Not that God in this particular did (as some speak) Dispense with the Law of Nature: for dispensation had made his Action or purpose, only not Unlawful; whereas Gods * 1.1 Command∣ment did, not only exempt his Resolution from that Precept, Thou shalt not Kill, but placed it in the highest rank of Goodnesse. For he had done better in killing his Son, upon this Motive, then in saving of his enemies Life, out of his pri∣vate Resolution, or Goodnesse of Nature. Most true it is (for a Prophet said it) of the general, † 1.2 Obedience is better then Sacrifice: the truth whereof was most undoubtedly most perspicuous, in this particular, by which that very Action, which otherwise had been most cruel Murther, became more acceptable in the sight of God, then any Sacrifice that ever was offered, save only That, wherein greater Obedience, then Abraham here intended was here actually performed.

3 But some (perhaps) will here demand, what Argument can be drawn from Obedience unto Divine Supreme Authoritie, for justifying Obedience unto Subordinate Powers, in Matters, which, in our private estimation, we deem Unlawful? Shal we equalize Man with God, or Humane Authority with Divine? No, but we should know, that all Lawful Powers are from God, and he that resisteth them, resisteth the Authoritie of Divine Power. Abrahams War∣rant for killing his Son, was more Authentick and express, then we can have for any particular Action, which we privately conceive as evil: but not more Authentick & express, then many Divine Precepts for obedience unto lawful Governours are. As his Warrant was better, so had his Action without it been more desperate, then such as superiour powers usually impose upon inferiors. The former Instance then was brought, principally, to mitigate the Rigour of their Preciseness, who stifly maintain, That no Obedience can legitimate such Actions, as, without it, would be evil; but all must be performed only in mat∣ters presupposed Good and Lawful, or at least acknowledged for Indifferent unto Private Men, before injoyned by Publick Authoritie. The Contradicto∣rie to which universal Negative appears most true, in this particular Affirma∣tive of Abrahams Resolution and Obedience: from which we may further Argue thus. As the immediate interposition of Divine Authority made that Acti∣on Holy and Religious, which otherwise had been barbarously Impious: so may the interposition of Authoritie, derived from God, make some Actions, which, barely considered, would be apparantly Evil, Desperate, or Doubtful, to be Honest, Good, and Lawful. To beat one that is Sui Juris, at his own disposition, and in his right mind, against; or one that is not such, with his Consent; were insolent Wrong: Because, we have no Power over the one; the other none over himself, to Authorize such usage of his Bodie. What would it be then, in private Men, to beat such as they know for Gods Embassadours, though requested by them so to do; when as the very Request might seem to argue some present Di∣stemper, or Distraction of Minde? No doubt, but he that refused to smite his Neighbour Prophet (whether Elisha or some other: the storie is in the first of

Kings) * 1.3 did not only pretend, but truly had some scruple of Conscience, left he should offend, either that general Law of not doing Wrong unto his Neighbour, or that peculiar Precept, Do my Prophets no harm: and yet for his Disobedience to the Prophets command became a Sacrifice to the Lion. But he that took the Prophets Authoritie for his Warrant, though he smote, and in smiting wounded him, yet did he not hurt his own Conscience a whit, but rather by thus doing, preserved it whole, notwithstanding the former Precept of doing Gods Prophets no harm. † To rifle a Spanish ship, upon pri∣vate Quarrels, were Piracie in an English Navigator, to kill a Spaniard, Mur∣ther; but suppose the Kings Majestie, upon Wrong done, by that Nation to our State, not satisfied; should grant his letters of Mart: to rob them of their Goods were no Piracie, to take away their Lives no Murther: yet were the out ward Action in both Cases the same, but the circumstances diverse, and the partie that now undertakes it, hath better Motives then before he had.

4 Many Instances might be brought unto this purpose, all evidently evincing thus much in general, That sundry Actions, which undertaken out of private Choice, would be Wicked, (because we conceive in them some Evil, without any conceit of possible good to set against it) may by Injunction of publick Authority become Lawful to us; because we have new Motives and bet∣ter Warrants for to do them; nor can our adventure upon such Actions be censured for Desperate, as before it might well have been. For first, whilest Men of skill and judgement, appointed by God to Advise in such Matters, are otherwise perswaded then we in private are: the Rule of Christian Mo∣destie bindes us to suspect our own Perswasion, and consequently, to think there may be some Good even in that Action wherein heretofore we thought was not; wherein as yet we our selves see none, yet may safely perswade our selves that others see, either more Good or lesse Evil. And unto this Per∣swasion we must adde this Consideration also: That Performance of Obedi∣ence it self is a good and acceptable Action in the sight of God. Or to come nearer the Point.

5 The goodness of our sincere Obedience alone is not a Consequent only of * 1.4 the Action but either an essential part, or such a Circumstance, or Motive pre∣cedent, as brings a new •…•…ssence for it concomitant; whereby the Evil (which we, out of private Perswasions, fear) may be countervailed, as well as if we did conceive some good probably included in the very Object of the Action it self, which might be equivalent to the Evil feared. At the least then, some Actions, which privately we would avoid as altogether Evil, may upon the former Motives be as lawfully undertaken, as those which we hold, as probably Good, as Evil.

6 But, as every Conceit of any Good is not sufficient to countervail all Conceit of Evil, which may appear in the same matter: so neither may all Au∣thoritie countervail every private Perswasion, in any man; but the greater, or more publick, the Authoritie is, the more should it prevail with all private Persons, for the undertaking of such Actions, as otherwise would seem Un∣lawful. The like may be said of the danger, or scandal, which might arise from the Example of our Disobedience, or non performance of Obedi∣ence. The greater the Harm is, likely to ensue such Neglect of Obedience, the more we are bound to be lesse scrupulous in Obeying, for these are not meer Consequents of the Action. The Reason why men often mistake them for such, is, because they distinguish not between the real Harms themselves, or scandalous Events, which follow the Action, and the serious

Forecast of their Danger. For as the Means are precedent to the real Assequu∣tion of the End, and yet the Intention of the End doth alwayes go before the right Choice of Means, and as it were, seasons them for the Production of what we intend: so albeit the real Events or Harms be meer Consequents, yet the mature and prudent forecast of Danger, likely to follow any Action or Resolution, must be admitted into the Consultation precedent, and ought to sway our Consciences, according to every degree of their Probabilities un∣partially conceived, as wel as if we were as probably perswaded of so many degrees of inherent goodnesse in the Action it self, or its essential Object. For the Avoidance of any Evil equally probable, is as good as the Attaining of an equal good. If the danger which we justly fear may follow our Neglect of O∣bedience, whether in things Forbidden or Commanded, be as great as the E∣vil, which (upon like Probabilitie) we conceive in the very Action it self; it should make us as willing to do what we are Commanded, as to refuse: albeit we set apart the goodnesse, which may arise from the meer Act of Obedience it self.

7 That both goodnesse of meer Obedience, as Obedience, and also the danger of Evil likely to ensue our denial thereof, are either Essential Parts of the Object, or such Internal Motives precedent, as may raise a new Form in the Action: may be gathered from what hath been said afore, of things In∣different. For the Injunction of Authoritie, as none (I think) will deny, makes * 1.5 things which to have done, or not to have done, was before Indifferent, now not to be such, but Necessarie and good. So as, not only the Obedience is to be thought good, but the very Action wherein Obedience is seen, though before Indifferent, is now inherently good, and the Omission of it would be in it self Evil, and not by Consequent only. For Obedience either is, or causeth, a new Form or Essential Difference, which doth as it were sub∣limate the outward Action, to an higher Nature and Quality then it was capable of before. For the same Reason may this goodnesse of Obedience, and the due Consideration of Harms, which may follow its Refusal, make such Actions, as before had been Evil for us out of private Resolutions to have undertaken, not to be any more Evil, but Good. The Difficultie only is, what private Doubts or Dislikes may be countervailed by publick Au∣thoritie: or what certain Rule may be given when they may, and when they may not.

8 General Rules in this Case are very hard to be given, because the Circum∣stances * 1.6 may be many and divers. The Authority may be greater or lesse: so may their Dislike that are to perform Obedience be of the things enjoyned. The Injunction likewise may be more or lesse Peremptorie. Sometimes it may seem to resemble rather an Advice, then absolute Command: sometimes rather to Adjure, then Command: Sometimes the Parties in Authority may be of lesse, and the parties of whom Obedience is exacted, of greater Reach, and deeper Insight in those matters, whereunto Obedience is enjoyned, according to the Diversitie of the Subject of Obedience, which sometime may be such, wherein men of Experience or Practice are to be most Believed, wherein Concurrence of Judgements and Multitude of Voices may argue more Truth: Sometimes the Subject of Obedience, may be matters of abstruse Speculation, wherein one man of profound Judgement is more to be Belie∣ved, then five hundred but of ordinarie Capacitie. For as things Visible, but far Distant, so matters of abstruse Speculation, cannot be discerned by multitude of Eyes, but by clearnesse of Sight; and as he that could discern ships in the Carthaginian, from the Lilibaean haven, saw more then all Xerxes

Armie could in like Distance: so doth it oft fall out, that some one pro∣found Judicious Contemplator sees clearly that Truth, which all the Wits of the same Age had not been able without him to discover. Such men may sin in obeying Authority, whereunto others in yeelding Obedience, sin not; be∣cause they can discern the Unlawfulnesse of the Command it self better than others. But unlesse a man can justly plead this, or some other like peculiar Reason or Priviledge, it is a very suspitious and dangerous Case to Disobey lawfull Authority, (whether Spiritual or Temporal) in such matters as he thinks others of his own Rank may with safe Conscience Obey, or in such matters, whereunto he sees many men, by his own Confession of great Judgement and Integrity of Life, yeelding Obedience with alacritie. For if thus he think of them, he cannot but suspect himself and his Perswasi∣ons of Error; nay he cannot be otherwise perswaded, but that the Com∣mandment, or publick Injunction of Authority, is not absolutely against Gods Commandment; for so it could not be Obeyed, with safe Consci∣ence, by men of Skil and Integrity. † 1.7 And this I take to be the safest ge∣neral Rule that can be given in this Case: Not to consider the particular Mat∣ters enjoyned, with such of their Circumstances, or Consequences as we out of our private Imaginations conceive, or fear; so much, as the general Form of publick Injunction, as it indistinctly concerns All. If we can truly discern the Law or publike Act it self to be against Gods Law, and such as will lay a Necessi∣tie upon us of transgressing Gods Commandements, if we yeeld Obedience to particulars enjoyned by it: Our Apostles have already answered for us, It is better to Obey God then Men. Christ had commanded them to preach * 1.8 the Gospel: The Priests and other Governours forbid them to preach Christ. Here was a Contradiction in the Lawes themselves. But GOD Commands us to Obey the Powers ordained by him; and their Comman∣dements are particular Branches of Gods General Commandements for this purpose: and he that Disobeyeth them, Disobeyeth God, unlesse their Commandements be contrary to some other of Gods Commandements. And it is a Course as preposterous as dangerous, to Disobey Authority, be∣cause we dislike the things Commanded by it, in respect of our selves, or up∣on some Perswasion peculiar to us, not common to All. For seeing Obe∣dience is Gods expresse Commandement; yea seeing We can no more Obey, than Love God, whom we have not seen, but by obeying our Superiours whom we have seen: True Spiritual Obedience, were it rightly planted in our hearts, would bind us, rather to like Well of the things Commanded for Authorities * 1.9 sake, than to Disobey Authority for the private dislike of them. Both our Dis∣obedience to the one, and Dislike of the other, are unwarrantable, unlesse we can truly derive them from some formal Contradiction or Opposition, betwixt the publick or general Injunction of Superiours, and expresse Law of the most High.

9 It will be replied, That albeit the general Form of publick Injunction be not absolutely Unlawful, nor the things enjoyned (for this reason) essen∣tially or necessarily Evil: yet are these most Unexpedient, and may be grand Occasions of great Evil.

He that is thus Perswaded, might as far as became his Place, disswade any Publike Act concerning such Matters; and yet withall was bound to consider, whether the Want of such an Act might not Occasion as great Evils, as he fears may follow the Practise of such Obedience as it commands: or whether other might not as probably foresee some equivalent ••ood, which he sees not. But after such Acts are publickly made, and Obedi∣ence

duely demanded † 1.10 he that denies it upon fear onely of some Evil that may follow, doth give great Occasion to others of Committing that Evil, which he himself by this Refusal certainly Commits, he opens the gap to that Capital Mischief of publike Societies, Anarchie and Disobedience. In Doubts of this Nature, it will abundantly suffice to make sincere Protestation in the sight of God, or if need require, before Men, that we undertake not such Actions upon any private liking of the things enjoyned, but onely upon sin∣cere respect of performing Obedience to Superiours, whom God hath ap∣pointed to make Lawes for Us, but not Us to appoint them what Lawes they should make, nor to Judge of their Equity being made, save onely where the Form of the Commandement is contrary to some of Gods Commande∣ments, so as the particulars enjoyned become therby essentially and necessa¦rily Evil. In such Case, the Lawes of Superiours are already Judged and Condemned by Gods Law, by which whilest they stand Uncondemned they shall condemn us for Disobedience both to Gods Lawes and Them albeit we stand in Doubt, whether that which they enjoyn, would not be most unlawfull for us to do, if we were left unto our Private Choyce. For seeing the Case stands in Controversie betwixt Us and our Superiours: we should do as we are Commanded by them, and refer the final Decision to the Supream Judge, whether they do well or ill in making such Lawes, as to us may seem to be Occasions of Evil, but whether they shall prove so or no, he best Knows, that onely can prevent the Danger. We, as I said be∣fore, might Advise if we were thereunto called, for the Mitigation or Abro∣gating of such Lawes, but Judge or condemn them, by the Probabilities or Fears of their Consequents we may not, but only where they are already judged by the Law of God. What private man is there, that knows the secret Intents or Purposes of the State, in most Actions of publick Service? Can any man doubt but that a great many oft fear some dangerous Conse∣quents of those Services wherein they are employed? Why then do most men think themselves bound to Obey the State, against their private Doubts or Fears? ‖ 1.11 It is enough that we know such Businesses (as for example, Warres with forrainers) not to be Unlawfull in the general, and the Determinations of Warres, or like Businesse, to be referred to the King and his Councel: but whether this or that War be justly undertaken by them or no; common Souldiers, nay Captains are not to judge, nor to detract Obedience, albeit they suspect the Lawfulnesse of the Quarrel, or could wish for peace if they were in place to determine of such matters. But if the whole State should command promiscuous use of Women, adulterie, murther of our brethren uncondemned by Law, blasphemie, or the like: such commandements were not to be obeyed, but we are rather bound to suffer death our selves, than to be their instruments in such actions: for here is a direct Contradiction, be∣twixt the form of such laws, and the Laws of God.

10 * 1.12 From what hath hitherto been delivered, we may collect, That Superiours, or men in Authority are to be obeyed in such Points, as their Inferi∣ours are not at leisure to examine or not of capacitie to discern, or not of Power, or Place, to determine whether they be lawfull or no. Thus much at the least is common to all absolute Authoritie, of what kind soever. And from the former Places alledged, containing the Commission of Priests or Ministers, it is most evident, That the lawfull Pastor or spiritual Overseer, hath as ab∣solute Authority to demand Belief or Obedience in Christs, as any Civil Ma∣strate

hath to demand Temporal Obedience in the State or Princes Name: And if any of Christs Fold denie Obedience, or appeal from his Pastor, without just and evident Reason, he doth thereby deny Christ, and endan∣ger his own Soul, as much as he doth his Body that resists a Lawfull Magi∣strate, when he is charged by him in his Princes Name to Obey. And as in temporal Causes, if a man appeal without just Occasions, from an inferi∣our Court to a higher, he is not thereby freed, but rather to be returned to the inferiour Court from which he appealed, or to be censured (besides his other facts,) for his unlawfull Appeal: so likewise, such as upon pre∣tence of Ignorance in Gods Word, or liberty of Conscience appeal from ordinary Ministers to Christ the chief Shepherd, are not thereby presently acquitted, but stand still liable to the Censure of their Pastors, either to Bind them if they continue Obstinate, as well for this their Disobedience in appealing from them, as for their other Sins; or to Loose and remit their Sins, if they repent. For God hath appointed his Ministers to govern his Church, and Governours are to be Obeyed in that they are Governours, unlesse such as are to perform Obedience, do perfectly know, or have Rea∣sons (such as they would not be afraid to tender to Christ in that dreadfull Day,) to suspect, that their Pastors in their Commands, go beyond their Commission, or the expresse Laws and Ordinances of Christ Jesus, the Su∣pream Governour and Commander both of Pastor and People.

11 But many men are oft times strongly perswaded, that the very form of * 1.13 the Law or their Superiours Injunctions, are Opposite unto Gods Laws, when in Truth they are not. And hence they think they deny Obedience upon Sinc••∣••ity and Conscience, when indeed they do not, but in both Cases are meerly blinded by Affection. The Question is, whether denying Obedience upon such Perswasions, they do well or ill? That the Perswasion is Evil, is without con∣troversie. The Difficulty is, whether (the Perswasion remaining in full strength, without any mixture of Suspition, or Apprehension of their Er∣rour,) they adde a new sinne of Disobedience, besides the sinfulnesse of their Er∣roneous perswasion, or that Habitual Affection whence it springs: that is, whe∣ther they should do better in Obeying against the full strength of their Perswasion, or in Disobeying, whilest it remains? If they Obey, they sin against their Consci∣ences, and prefer the Laws of Man before Gods: If they do better in Diso∣beying, it may s••em an unhappie Errour, which exempts them from the Yoak of Obedience, whereunto the Orthodox are subject. The answer is easie; Who∣soever shall deny Obeaience upon such Perswasions, doth commit Disobedience actu∣ally: Not that it were better for him to Obey, (supposing the strength of his Perswasion to the contrary) but he actually Sins in that he suffers not t••e strength of his Perswasion to be broken by the stroke of Authority, but rather suf∣fers it to confront Authority: So that his Sin (if we will speak precisely) * 1.14 consists onely in the exercise of his former Perswasion, or in the Motion of his Habitual Assection: not in any proper Act of that peculiar Habit or Vice, which we call Disobedience. That whereunto he stands bound by Au∣thority, is to abjure his former Perswasion, that he may with safe conscience Obey: or (to speak more distinctly,) he is not bound immediately to Obey in the particulars now enjoyned, nor to renounce his Perswasion without more ado, but to enter into his own Soul and Conscience, to examine the Grounds or Motives of his Perswasion, to rate his ovvn Wit and Judge∣ment at its due Worth and no higher, to renounce all Self-conceit, or Jealou∣sies of Disparagement, in yeelding to that he had formerly impugned, that so he may sincerely and uncorruptedly Judge of the Truth proposed, and

esteem aright of Authoritie, and others Worth that yeeld unto it. If we would sincerely Obey in these Points, which are the immediate and first Principles of true Christian Obedience, the Grounds of erroneous Perswa∣sions would quickly fail: so as we should be alwayes ready to Obey in the particulars, whereunto Obedience was justly demanded. But of the Grounds, Occasions of erroneous Perswasions, and their Remedies, by Gods Assist∣ance, more at large in the Article of the God-head, and some other Treati∣ses of Christian Faith.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Abraham non solum non est cul∣patus crude∣litatis crimi∣ne, verum eti∣am laudabus est nomine pietatis, quod voluit filium nequaquam sceleratè, sed obedienter occidere. Aug. de civit. Dei. lib. 1. Cap. 21. Spontaneus metus exe∣crabils, Deo jubente Lan∣dabilis. Aug. contra Faust. Man. l. 22. c. 73.
• † 1.2

  Abrahams Obedience made that Action, which without it had been worse then Murther, to be better then Sacri∣fice. How far the former In∣stance serveth to infer the Conclusion pro∣posed.
• * 1.3

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉.
• * 1.4

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.5

  Some Obedi∣ence may af∣ter that evil which appears in some Acti∣ons: because a∣ny Obedience (though in the lowest degree) doth make A∣ctions which without it were indifferent, to be truly good.
• * 1.6

  To give precise Rules what Actions may of evil become good by Obedi∣ence, is very difficult.
• † 1.7

  A certain Rule when Authority may be dis••eyed, without whole of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is alwa••es more 〈◊〉〈◊〉 then Sa••e.
• * 1.8

  A••is 4. 19.
• * 1.9

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• † 1.10

  In vi••i••m ducit culpae ••uga si caret ar••e. As we may not do evil that good may ensue, so may we not omit any good, lest evil might happen thereon; and yet Obedi∣ence by all mens consent is good. Thus from an unnecessary fear of the for∣mer, men fall into the later, (which is but a Siyler Sin) by denying Obedi∣ence which in it self is good, for fear lest they should give occasion of evil.
• ‖ 1.11

  Thus much S. Aust in taketh as granted by all. For he bringeth in these words fol∣lowing to infer a Conclusion denied by his Adversary. Vir justus, si fortè sub rege homine etiam sacrilego mili∣tet, rectè po∣test illo ju∣bente bellare, civicae pacis ordin••m ser∣vās. Cui, quod jubetur, vel, non esse con∣tra Dei prae∣cep••um c••r∣tum est, vel, utrum sit, cer∣tum non est: ita ut forrasse term regem faciat iniquitas imperandi, innocentem autem militem ostendat ordo serviendi. Aug. l. 22. contra Faustum Manich•…•…. cap. 75.
• * 1.12

  What hath been spoken of Authority in general, applied to Spiritual Authority.
• * 1.13

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• * 1.14

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉.